FDA advisers consider changing COVID vaccine to target latest omicron strain

By LAURAN NEERGAARD and MIKE STOBBE
AP Medical Writers

The COVID-19 vaccines are on track for a big recipe change this fall. Today’s vaccines still contain the original coronavirus strain, the one that started the pandemic. But that strain was long ago supplanted by mutated versions as the virus rapidly evolves. Scientific advisers for the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday discussed whether the next round of shots should only include protection against the newest omicron variants that are now dominant worldwide. Regulators will be making their best guess which strain to include, just like they do every year in setting the recipe for the fall flu vaccine.